I have experience in hand raising a young kitten that was orphaned but I never "helped" a mother cat with her litter. My second youngest kitten was set to be spayed but my neighbor upstairs decided that he wanted to get rid of my cat and opened my kitchen window and let her out. (I pressed charges).Well she found her way home pregnant. She had her litter about 13 days ago and I found that she and the little guys had fleas. I spoke to my vet and was advised to bathe the kittens with specific flea shampoo. I did this and now Momma is now moving the kittens to different areas of my room. Is this normal? Since she was so young and her first I have to help her care for them,. supplement feedings (on occasions) I am just concerned that they will get a chill away from their box in my closet. Any advice on calming her down?
2006-07-18 06:54:09 · 9 answers · asked by errin24 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Momma is just 1 year old. Kittens are all healthy and believe it or not starting to play already at 2 weeks!! Cute. 1 girl and 3 boys
2006-07-18 06:55:06 · update #1
My Neighbor upstairs was arrested (I pressed charges) for breaking and entering since he had to reach in to pick her up. He still lives there but I bought and am having a house built that will be move in ready in Sept
2006-07-18 07:49:52 · update #2
This is perfectly normal behavior. It's mama-cat's instinct to move her babies periodically to keep them safe. The taking and bathing them probably did prompt it, but it's still normal. In a "wild" situation, they would move the babies to keep predators from finding them.
Just let her have them where she wants them. They tend to get upset when YOU move their babies, and they want complete control of the situation, so let her have that so long as there's no danger go the babies. They will clump together whem mommy goes away to eat, etc., so they'll stay pretty warm, and she'll be with them most of the time. You might want to set up another box somewhere else in the room, and make it as secluded as possible, and she might move them there. Just pet her and speak calmly to her and let her be RE-assured that you're not a threat -- and don't take it personally. It's instinct more than anything else. Let her have her way on this, and she'll calm down. If she didn't mind you touching them in the box in the closet, she won't mind YOU touching them whever she moves them -- just don't YOU move them or she'll get highly perturbed!! =)
Enjoy this fascinating time. It goes by too quickly.
2006-07-18 07:16:06 · answer #1 · answered by Shadycat 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have to say . If moving the kittens here and there is comfortable for the mother .... id just help her. She must have had a bad experience when she was out on her own. Cats move there babies allot outside if they fear for danger. Dose that neighbor upstairs still live there. I bet your mother cat senses him, and it worries her. Cats sense things. they might be tamed but they are still an animal of mother earth and they can sense danger for miles....... just love her and be there. They will be fine. A good idea to do is to keep music quiet and only soft rhythms. Try to keep it quiet in your home this will comfort the mother.Keep the furniture in the same places a lot of movement with objects makes cats nerves as well. Good luck and
blessed be.......
(Lover of many cats.....)
2006-07-18 14:06:07 · answer #2 · answered by Believe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it's normal. If the kittens are disturbed in any way the mother will move them where she feels safer. Just let her do pretty much what she wants and she will be fine as long as she isn't putting herself or the kittens in danger. Often times I have set up areas for mother cats to have kittens, and they have decided to use some other place instead, like my clothes hamper. Oh well...
2006-07-18 14:00:21 · answer #3 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is normal for her to move the kittens to another place if she was disturbed (the bathes). I wouldnt worry too much so long as she maintains feeding them and i wouldnt bother her too much. Just make sure to feed her a high quality kitten food so she keeps getting the nutrients she needs and as soon as the kittens are weaned id get mum spayed so this doesnt happen again. What was the outcome of your neighbor? Did he get a fine or something? Im just curious.
2006-07-18 14:00:58 · answer #4 · answered by lady_crotalus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes this is very normal. My mother and I have been raising Siamese kittens for many years and the mother cat goes through a stage where she wants to move her kittens all around the house the best way to stop this is keep a good eye on them and move them back to where she moved them from. It should pass and she will be happy leaving them where they are but then the kittens will be moving around. :)
2006-07-18 14:21:19 · answer #5 · answered by rsbroni 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would say, just let her do what she wants with her babies. Just keep an eye on them and make sure she doesnt put them in a spot that would put them in danger, like under a rocking chair. i had a TERRIBLE experience with my cat putting her babies under a rocking chair. : ( My cat was also very young when she had her babies, like a year old and her kittens came out just fine. Just let her move them, and try not to handle them too much, if she is moving them, it means that you are making her nervous by handling her babies too much. the babies will be just fine.
2006-07-18 14:01:05 · answer #6 · answered by krystal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is normal for the mother to try and move her young.That is how they are to keep them safe in the wild.So it is normal behavior.
2006-07-18 14:04:10 · answer #7 · answered by rainman42642 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you washed her smell off them, she's moving them to keep them safe
2006-07-18 14:00:39 · answer #8 · answered by kc101647 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
give her other options as to where she can put her babies....boxes boxes boxes ALOT of boxes
2006-07-18 13:59:54 · answer #9 · answered by jeanene64 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋